Graded stakes winner Harken is one of 129 juveniles entered in the Zia Futurity [RG1] trials on Friday.

© Ruidoso Downs

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM--JULY 2, 2024--Harken, a graded stakes winning son of Eye Am King racing for Ernesto Soto, is one of 129 New Mexico-bred 2-year-old Quarter Horses entered in Friday’s 400-yard Zia Futurity (RG1) trials at Ruidoso Downs.

A $145,000 yearling purchase from breeder MJ Farms at last year’s New Mexico-Bred Sale, Harken has earned $157,566 from three starts, and his two wins include a nose victory in the 350-yard, $351,000 Mountain Top Futurity (RG2) at Ruidoso Downs on June 16.

Harken is out of Donelli, a graded stakes winning daughter of Big Daddy Cartel. The gelding drew the rail post and will be ridden by Sergio Becerra Jr. for trainer Marco A. Flores in the eighth of trials.

Other noteworthy state-bred juveniles entered in Friday’s trials include Eye Im Flashin, a gelded son of Eye Am King who ran second to Harken in the Mountain Top Futurity. Tony Sedillo trains the sorrel gelding for the Tungsten Racing Partnership.

Eye Im Flashin drew post three and will be ridden by Jacob Enriquez in the sixth heat.

J & SM Inc.’s Row By Row is a graded stakes placed son of Big Daddy Cartel purchased for $60,000 at last year’s Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale. Trained by Fred Danley, the gelding has banked $70,854 from three outs, and his stakes record includes a second-place finish, a neck behind winner Pavel, in the 300-yard, $355,000 New Mexican Spring Futurity (RG2) at Sunland Park on April 6.

Row By Row drew post ten and will be ridden by Noe Garcia Jr. in the 12th trial.

The ten fastest qualifiers from Friday’s trials will meet in the July 21, $375,000-est. Zia Futurity final.

All Ruidoso Downs races can be seen at Q-Racing Video.com.